It frequently happens when laying web material of loose consistency that undesirable folds are formed in the material. This is particularly so in the case of difficult materials like nylon, knitwear, jersey, plush and other delicate fabrics. The folds run not only in the direction of travel of the laying carriage which deposits the material but also at right angles thereto. In order to remove this disadvantage of fold formation, it has already been suggested in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 28 38 097 that at least one air nozzle, constructed and arranged in a special way, be provided on the laying carriage.
With a known air nozzle of such a kind, whose blowing direction can be adjusted only in a limited way and is otherwise arranged in a fixed manner on the laying carriage, air is blown against the web material shortly before or after it reaches the laying surface. This can largely avoid the formation of folds, but there is no absolutely sure guarantee that folds, more particularly in the region of the edge of the web, no longer actually exist at any points of the laid-out web material. Folds of such a kind can not be tolerated, for example, in machines for laying material which cooperate with a material cutting apparatus, since the folds would lead to faulty cuts and consequently to defective goods.